Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent to support the development of the Inverness to Stockholm route and on its marketing by VisitScotland or any other public body.

Nicol Stephen: Investment from the Scottish Executive's Route Development Fund, in any single route, cannot be disclosed because of commercial confidentiality. However investment from the fund is only provided for the actual number of passengers carried. VisitScotland has focussed on Sweden with marketing support of £222,000: £93,000 of this was specifically targeted on the Inverness to Stockholm service. The Highlands of Scottish Tourist Board and Inverness and Nairn Enterprise have also contributed marketing support of £10,000 each.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance call-outs there were from (a) the Vale of Leven, (b) Helensburgh and (c) Arrochar ambulance station in each of the last 12 months.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the following table:

  

 

June 2003

July 2003

Aug 2003

Sept 2003
Oct 2003
Nov 2003
Dec 2003
Jan 2004
Feb 2004
Mar 2004
Apr 2004
May 2004



Arrochar

23

35

36

30
83
59
25
29
18
15
21
76



Helensburgh

143

162

159

150
144
134
120
156
119
130
116
67



Vale of Leven

426

451

443

438
449
459
469
498
462
528
498
577

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of call-outs from (a) the Vale of Leven, (b) Helensburgh and (c) Arrochar ambulance station in each of the last twelve months were for destinations other than the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is listed in the table below:

  

 

June 2003

July 2003

Aug 2003
Sept 2003
Oct 2003
Nov 2003
Dec 2003
Jan 2004
Feb 2004
Mar 2004
Apr 2004
May 2004



Arrochar

17%

3%

11%
20%
78%
66%
32%
28%
56%
53%
29%
50%



Helensburgh

6%

10%

10%
5%
19%
26%
30%
29%
45%
35%
34%
43%



Vale of Leven

24%

31%

30%
27%
44%
42%
39%
44%
44%
47%
46%
54%

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any discussions between the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Argyll and Clyde about the clinical strategy review and, if so, when such discussions took place, who was in attendance and what was discussed.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service is a member of the NHS Argyll and Clyde Modernisation Board which has provided governance for the Clinical Strategy Review. Senior managers from the ambulance service's South West Division have attended six meetings of the Modernisation Board, the first on 27 August 2003 and the most recent on 27 May 2004. NHS Argyll and Clyde was represented by a number of officials including the Chief Executive. The full minutes of the meetings are available on NHS Argyll and Clyde's website.

  The clinical strategy has also been discussed in other fora at which the ambulance service and NHS Argyll and Clyde have been represented.

  The discussions have informed a better understanding of the possible implications for both services of the options emerging from the review.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that, in any proposed changes to the configuration of health provision in any area, the impact on the local ambulance service is considered.

Malcolm Chisholm: Each Scottish Ambulance Service divisional manager is a member of the service re-design committees operating in their areas. This provides for the ambulance service to be involved in the considerations of proposed services changes at an early stage. These arrangements are entirely compatible with the principles of partnership working within NHSScotland. The need for such early engagement is also emphasised in the department's recently issued Health Department Letter (2004) 33 entitled Clarification of Finance (Revenue) Arrangements Relating to the Scottish Ambulance Service .

Animal Welfare

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy will be published and how it will be delivered.

Ross Finnie: I will be undertaking the Scottish launch of the GB Animal Health and Welfare Strategy at the Royal Highland Show on 24 June. Copies of the Strategy have been placed in the Scottish Parliament reference centre (Bib. number 33090). The timing of the launch will maximise the opportunities to explain the benefits of good animal health and welfare for Scotland's valuable livestock industry.

  The strategy will be developed in Scotland through an implementation plan, reflecting Scottish priorities and delivery mechanisms. The implementation plan for Scotland will be published in the autumn and will outline the full range of work which is being undertaken in Scotland by government and stakeholders to raise animal health and welfare performance. It is important that stakeholders are fully aware of the importance of continually raising standards and support the strategy and implementation plan. To this end, we will be holding a conference later on in the year to consider Scottish priorities.

Antisocial Behaviour

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is to deal with antisocial behaviour linked to alcohol.

Ms Margaret Curran: Irresponsible use of alcohol fuels antisocial behaviour. We are taking comprehensive action on antisocial use of alcohol through our plans for liquor licensing reform, which were published on 17 May; through the alcohol action plan and through the implementation of the Antisocial Behaviour Bill and the wider strategy in which it sits.

Antisocial Behaviour

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that street parades and marches do not encourage antisocial behaviour.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive announced yesterday Sir John Orr's appointment to review the licensing system for marches and parades. One of the issues Sir John will consider is how the licensing system can better manage antisocial behaviour associated with marches or parades.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the responsibilities are of its ministers in relation to the operation of Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, including any responsibilities arising from the detention of children within the centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The management and operation of Dungavel is the responsibility of the Home Office.

Children's Hearings

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given during the review of the children's hearings system to how the provisions within the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 relate to children's panels.

Euan Robson: Phase 1 of the review is considering the broad principles and objectives for the children's hearings system. The consultation pack raises issues about the relationship between the children's hearings system and other agencies and services supporting vulnerable children.

Common Agricultural Policy

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will avoid the charge of "paying farmers not to break the law" as referred to in Scottish Environment Link's evidence in respect of cross-compliance rules in Common Agricultural Policy reform.

Allan Wilson: The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform agreement requires farmers receiving direct payments to respect a number of European laws and to maintain the land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition.

Communities Scotland

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Communities Scotland.

Ms Margaret Curran: I meet with my officials in Communities Scotland on a regular basis to discuss progress with the implementation of our plans for regenerating our communities.

Crime

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons can be learned from the recently-published recorded crime statistics for 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: With recorded crime at its lowest level for 25 years, these figures show that our record investment in frontline policing and our on-going reforms of the criminal justice system are helping to create a safer Scotland. But there is no room for complacency. The figures also show that there is still more work to do, particularly in tackling the number of sexual assaults and dealing with antisocial behaviour.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is taking to address delays in the High Court.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has increased the number of prosecutors in the High Court and built in additional preparation time for Advocate Deputes to engage proactively with the defence to resolve potential difficulties in advance of the trial diet.

  Additional resources have also been devoted to the management of High Court Sittings. Taken together with the increase in sheriff sentencing powers, the pressure on the High Court is being reduced and the number of High Court disposals is increasing. The number of cases being adjourned is decreasing, particularly in Glasgow High Court.

  Together with other criminal justice partners, COPFS is working towards the implementation of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2004, following on from Lord Bonomy's review of the High Court. These reforms should further increase efficiency and reduce delays.

Dentistry

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many false (a) payment claims have been made by dental practitioners in the NHS and (b) claims of exemption from dental charges have been made by patients in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area and detailing the amounts in each case.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is in the tables below.

  Recovery Values of Claims Made by Dentists Under General Dental Services and Identified by Post Payment Procedures as False or Erroneous1

  


NHS Board

Financial Year 1999-2004

Total Recovery
(£)



1999
(£)

2000
(£)

2001
(£)

2002
(£)

2003
(£)

2004
(£)



Argyll and Clyde

0.0

9,579.75

11.00

13,640.14

292.86

1,385.10

24,908.85



Ayrshire and Arran

72,035.40

9,331.15

192.87

61.80

243.14

1,239.96

83,104.32



Borders

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

935.49

935.49



Dumfries and Galloway

0.00

381.20

2,029.95

0.00

0.00

453.43

2,864,58



Fife

0.00

843.04

0.00

0.00

351.25

1,471.71

2,666.00



Forth Valley

444.85

0.00

1,500.00

319.20

1,405.25

802.36

4,471.66



Grampian

0.00

68.20

7,931.69

6,504.98

389.22

410.91

15,305.00



Greater Glasgow

366.96

9,776.92

1,140.07

1,004.97

14,586.62

17,862.12

44,737.66



Highland

0.00

734.72

20.34

167.25

224.90

8,257.06

9,404.27



Lanarkshire

0.00

0.00

35.80

0.00

2,943,19

1,616.78

4,595.77



Lothian

2,155.95

99,316.68

47.05

227.02

471.10

10,359.09

112,576.89



Orkney

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

5.60

5.60



Tayside

0.00

596.81

14,850.72

8,932.25

8,674.95

2,115.33

35,170.06



Western Isles

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

2.66

0.00

2.66



Total for Year Ends

75,003.16

130,628.47

27,759.49

30,857.61

29,585.14

46,914.94

340,748.81



  Note:

  1. Where the recovery period extends over two or more years, the total amount is only allocated to year 1.

  Total Value of Claims Made by Dentists Under General Dental Services and Identified By Systems at Pre-Payment Stage as False or Erroneous1,2,3

  


NHS Board

Financial Year 1999-2004

Total



1999
(£)

2000
(£)

2001
(£)

2002
(£)

2003
(£)

2004
(£)



Argyll and Clyde

54,969 

71,395 

58,815 

49,164 

45,063 

8,439 

287,845 



Ayrshire and Arran

41,945 

56,082 

45,219 

39,988 

35,609 

6,157 

225,000 



Borders

14,452 

19,245 

16,270 

15,281 

11,281 

1,931 

78,460 



Dumfries and Galloway

16,194 

22,022 

13,205 

12,349 

11,329 

1,539 

76,638 



Fife

47,981 

62,212 

49,214 

46,117 

38,476 

6,311 

250,311 



Forth Valley

40,479 

52,323 

45,071 

40,201 

38,153 

7,170 

223,397 



Grampian

69,318 

86,152 

62,955 

52,394 

41,228 

7,299 

319,346 



Greater Glasgow

142,234 

185,541 

150,034 

140,537 

126,690 

23,157 

768,193 



Highland

22,876 

28,428 

23,145 

22,801 

18,485 

3,503 

119,238 



Lanarkshire

68,387 

88,040 

75,750 

70,854 

67,865 

11,768 

382,664 



Lothian

111,821 

150,361 

130,861 

126,569 

112,277 

19,213 

651,102 



Orkney

2,093 

2,910 

2,401 

1,769 

1,799 

257 

11,299 



Shetland

2,368 

3,343 

2,787 

4,463 

4,566 

577 

18,104 



Tayside

56,724 

78,769 

66,112 

54,965 

43,733 

7,377 

307,671 



Western Isles

3,852 

4,749 

3,490 

2,140 

2,443 

280 

16,954 



Grand Total

695,693 

911,572 

745,329 

679,583 

598,997 

104,978 

3,736,152 



  Notes:

  1. These figures may differ from other published figures as they are specifically targeted to show false or erroneous rather than incomplete claims.

  2. These figures represent the difference between the amount claimed and the amount authorised.

  3. A number of these claims may subsequently be corrected and re-submitted.

  Investigations by NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services Into Potentially False Claims by Dentists Under General Dental Services 2001-04

 Year  Number of Investigations Commenced  Number of False Claims Identified  Total Potential Value to NHSScotland2001  2  31  £2,79620021  1  68  £1732003  2  1 Pro-active investigation2 1 investigation where no decision has been made as to whether there is a case to investigate  £400,0002004  1  No decision has been made as yet on whether there is a case to investigate  -  

  Notes:

  1. Although the monetary value of this case is small, it raises clinical governance issues.

  2. In 2003 a pro-active exercise was carried out on gold restorations. The potential for false claims involving gold restorations equates to in excess of £400,000. A Bulletin was sent to all dentists on NHS board lists highlighting the problem. The impact of the bulletin is being measured currently to determine if the number of claims has decreased.

  Number of Patient Exemption Claims Checked by NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services 2000-011 and 2001-022

 Year  Number of Cases Checked  Number of Cases Confirmed as Exempt  Number of Cases Where The Patient Has Paid The Statutory Charge or the Penalty Charge  Amount Recovered2000-01  0   0  0  02001-02  5,240  3,394  231  £9,354  

  Notes:

  1. No dental claims were checked in 2000-01 since the wording of the patient declaration on payment claim forms did not allow NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services to confirm patient data with other relevant bodies under the Data Protection Act 1998. The wording was amended subsequently.

  2. The manual checking system in use enabled reports to be provided only on a Scotland-wide basis.

  Number of Patient Exemption Claims Checked by NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services 2002-031

 NHS Board  Number of Cases Where a Decision has been made as to Eligibility  Number of Cases Where The Patient Has Paid The Statutory Charge or the Penalty Charge  Amount RecoveredAyrshire and Arran  178  22  £773.18Borders  85  5  £222.70Dumfries and Galloway  98  7  £163.96Fife  198  12  £312.68Forth Valley  138  10  £233.24Grampian  177  13  £294.62Greater Glasgow  339  33  £1,359.00Highland  92  4  £109.24Lanarkshire  189  17  £957.40Lothian  267  30  £863.88Orkney  4  1  £4.00Argyll and Clyde  141  19  £1,132.22Shetland  15  0  £0.00Tayside  140  11  £472.44West Lothian  0  0  £0.00Western Isles  1  0  £0.00Totals  2,062  184  £6,898.56  

  Note:

  1. An automated patient exemption checking system (PECS) developed in 2002003 has enabled reports to be produced at NHS board level in a different format.

  Number of Patient Exemption Claims Checked by NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services 2003-041

  


NHS Board

Number of Cases Where a Decision has Been Made as to Eligibility

Number of Cases Where The Patient has Paid the Statutory Charge or the Penalty Charge

Amount Recovered



Ayrshire and Arran

402

33

£1,654.42



Borders

132

10

£308.86



Dumfries and Galloway

187

21

£861.52



Fife

400

38

£1,115.47



Forth Valley

291

21

£1,197.48



Grampian

652

46

£1,730.46



Greater Glasgow

997

114

£6,094.23



Highland

245

30

£1,119.38



Lanarkshire

599

59

£2,535.88



Lothian

832

104

£5,005.26



Orkney

61

2

£19.72



Argyll and Clyde

295

44

£1,601.75



Shetland

49

1

£97.12



Tayside

421

39

£1,890.58



West Lothian

0

0

£0.00



Western Isles

54

4

£99.88



Totals

5,617

566

£25,332.01



  Note:

  1. An automated patient exemption checking system developed in 2002-03 has enabled reports to be produced at NHS board level in a different format.

  NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services have recently completed the first stage of a risk measurement exercise, based on a statistically robust sample of claims paid in February 2003, to establish the level of patient fraud and error in Scotland in claiming exemption from charges in NHS family health services. As a result, the patient exemption fraud/error level in general dental services is estimated at 7.63% with an error margin of plus or minus 1.69%. A second risk measurement exercise will be undertaken in 2005.

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its statutory obligations are in respect of the delivery of dental provision on the NHS.

Mr Tom McCabe: It is a duty of the Scottish ministers to secure the provision of general dental services in accordance with Part II of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978.

  It is a duty, under section 25 of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978, of every health board, in accordance with regulations, to make as respect their area arrangements with dental practitioners under which any person for whom a dental practitioner undertakes in accordance with the arrangements to provide dental treatment and appliances shall receive such treatment and appliances.

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many practices NHS dental treatment has ceased to be provided in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05 to date, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information is provided in the table below. Dental practices that ceased providing NHS general dental services for a temporary period only may be included in these figures. For comparison the number of practices in Scotland that have commenced providing NHS general dental services in the same period are also provided.

  Number of NHS General Dental Practices in Scotland that Ceased Providing NHS Services1, Year Ending March

  


NHS Board Area

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-052



Ayrshire and Arran

4

0

0

0



Borders

0

0

1

0



Argyll and Clyde

2

0

1

0



Fife

2

1

1

1



Greater Glasgow

3

3

2

1



Highland

1

3

2

2



Lanarkshire

1

1

0

0



Grampian

2

1

4

0



Orkney

1

0

0

0



Lothian

2

3

5

1



Tayside

1

2

6

1



Forth Valley

0

2

0

0



Western Isles

0

0

0

0



Dumfries and Galloway

0

0

0

0



Shetland

0

2

0

0



Scotland

19

18

22

6



  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

  Notes:

  1. Some NHS general dental practices may cease providing NHS services permanently, while some may do so only temporarily. Figures may change, depending on when confirmation is received that a dentist has joined or left a dental list or when such data are collected.

  2. Incomplete (data are available for the period 1 April to 15 June 2004 only).

  Number of NHS General Dental Practices in Scotland that Commenced Providing NHS Services1, Year Ending March

  


NHS Board Area

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-052



Ayrshire and Arran

1

1

0

0



Borders

2

2

1

0



Argyll and Clyde

0

2

8

0



Fife

0

2

0

0



Greater Glasgow

3

3

4

0



Highland

3

2

7

0



Lanarkshire

1

4

0

0



Grampian

2

0

3

1



Orkney

0

0

1

0



Lothian

1

2

3

0



Tayside

2

4

3

0



Forth Valley

2

0

0

0



Western Isles

0

0

0

0



Dumfries and Galloway

0

0

0

0



Shetland

2

2

1

0



Scotland

19

24

31

1



  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

  Notes:

  1. Some NHS general dental practices may cease providing NHS services permanently, while some may do so only temporarily. Figures may change, depending on when confirmation is received that a dentist has joined or left a dental list or when such data are collected.

  2. Incomplete (data are available for the period 1 April to 15 June 2004 only).

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has that the only NHS dental practice in Eyemouth has intimated that it will be withdrawing from the NHS at the end of May 2004 and simultaneously reducing its patient list from 2,000 to 1,000 and whether any funding will be made available to those people, for example on benefits or low wages who may be required to travel considerable distances to access dental treatment.

Mr Tom McCabe: I regret the effect of the actions of this practice on availability of NHS dental services

  NHS boards can apply to the Scottish ministers for approval of schemes to assist eligible patients with travel expenses to access primary care NHS dental treatment. The funding for such schemes comes from within the board's unified budget.

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which dental practices in the Borders area (a) provide NHS dental treatment and (b) have vacancies for new patients.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally. NHS Lothian, which administers aspects of family health services on behalf of NHS Borders, will hold information on those dentists who have joined the dental list of NHS Borders in order to provide NHS general dental services. NHS Lothian may also hold information on those dentists accepting new NHS patients.

Disclosure Scotland

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the processing of applications by Disclosure Scotland and how its performance against these targets is monitored.

Cathy Jamieson: Disclosure Scotland's performance target is to process 90% of applications in 10 working (or 14 calendar) days. Performance is measured on a weekly basis. Additional staff have been recruited to help improve performance in meeting targets.

  The processing target applies to correctly completed applications with the appropriate payment and which do not require to be referred to a police force for non-conviction information. In the case of enhanced and standard disclosures, the processing time does not include handling by registered bodies through which applications are routed.

Education

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the inspection process of local authority education functions is successful.

Peter Peacock: The inspection process is subject to an annual review by a panel comprising a wide range of external stakeholders. The 2003 review panel report provided a very strong endorsement from authorities of the soundness and rigour of the inspection process.

Environment

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that there is a fair and sustainable policy in respect of landfill.

Ross Finnie: Provision of disposal capacity for waste is a matter for the waste industry and local authorities. The role of the Executive is to provide the regulatory and policy framework to secure sustainable management of waste. Our approach to that is set out in the National Waste Plan, which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26101), and which sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

  Planning decisions on landfill sites are taken by local authorities. The Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 raised the standard of the protection of the environment and human health at landfill sites.

  My department is preparing a landfill allowance scheme, which I propose to pilot later this year, that will divide up Scotland's share of the UK's targets to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste in order to comply with the EU Landfill Directive. This scheme will allow local authorities to either utilise, bank, borrow or trade their allocations of allowances from 2005 to 2020.

Genetically Modified Crops

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which supplies of milk on sale in supermarkets are GM-free.

Mr Tom McCabe: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that milk on sale in some supermarkets will be from animals consuming feed that contains approved GM ingredients, but details of specific amounts are not available. No milk is produced from GM animals.

Heritage

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to prevent demolition of listed buildings in Edinburgh including those on the site of the old Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Lauriston.

Mr Frank McAveety: Historic Scotland works closely with the City of Edinburgh Council to safeguard the built heritage. The result is that very few listed building are demolished.

  Applications for demolition of listed buildings require to be advertised, and planning authorities must have regard to all representations received. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 requires planning authorities to notify to Scottish ministers applications for consent for the demolition of any category of listed building which they are minded to approve. This is to afford ministers the opportunity to call in for their own determination applications which they judge to merit further consideration. Each case is considered on its merits but the policy of Scottish ministers is that no worthwhile building should be lost to our environment unless it is demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that every effort has been exerted by all concerned to find practical ways of keeping it.

  The former site of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is the subject of a very large redevelopment which will regenerate the area and re-use a number of important and prominent historic buildings within the World Heritage Site. The work currently underway involves the welcome removal of later additions and the demolition of certain listed buildings accepted as structurally unsound or obsolescent within the context of this important scheme. The work has been authorised through the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

Holyrood Inquiry

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are employed in the Holyrood Evidence Unit of its Legal and Parliamentary Services department; for how long such staff have been employed in the unit, and at what cost.

Patricia Ferguson: 2.5 full-time equivalent members of staff are currently employed in the Holyrood Evidence Unit (HEU), which was established in September 2003. One other part-time member of staff worked in the HEU between September 2003 and February 2004. The total staff costs associated with the HEU from September 2003 to the end of May 2004 are approximately £95,000.

Holyrood Project

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been undertaken by the Holyrood Evidence Unit of its Legal and Parliamentary Services department.

Patricia Ferguson: The Holyrood Evidence Unit co-ordinates the submission of documents to the Inquiry and liaises with witnesses and the Inquiry team.

Homelessness

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently (a) on waiting lists for housing and (b) homeless, broken down by local authority area.

Ms Margaret Curran: The latest available data on waiting lists for each local authority are published in Table 13 in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)  Housing Trends in Scotland: Quarter ending 31 March 2003 . This table shows snapshot figures for applicants on housing lists as at 31 March 2003, as well as changes to the lists during 2002-03. The publication can be accessed online through the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website. Data for 2003-04 will be published in the next quarterly trends bulletin: this is due to be published on 10 August 2004 and will be available via the housing statistics branch website at www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref.

  The latest data on numbers of applicants assessed as homeless under the homelessness legislation by local authority are published in Table 11 in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland: National and Local Authority Analyses 2002-03. This table shows the number assessed as homeless during 2002-03 (the data are not collected in a format which provides a snapshot figure of the number of homeless applicants at any one point in time). The publication is also available on the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website. Data for 2003-04 are due to be published in August 2004.

Housing

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to purchase land for affordable housing.

Ms Margaret Curran: Communities Scotland provides funding for the acquisition of land for affordable housing as an integral part of its development programme. Since 1999 we have invested £1.3 billion in the development programme leading to the approval of 34,000 new affordable homes across Scotland.

Housing

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage local authorities to improve accessibility in their existing housing stock.

Ms Margaret Curran: We expect local authorities to identify, in future Local Housing Strategies, the needs of people with disabilities.

Medication

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) will consider its position on Zevalin; how long thereafter guidance will be issued on its use, and whether Zevalin, which has a UK and European Commission licence, can be prescribed by NHS Lothian or NHS Borders without first being assessed by the SMC.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has advised that the manufacturer of this product has not yet submitted a new product submission form to allow them to consider it and make a recommendation.

  Any new medicine can legally be prescribed once it has a licence if it is thought to be the most suitable treatment for an individual patient, unless it is the subject of a direction given by Scottish ministers under Section 17N(6) of the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2004. However, NHSScotland is expected to await the advice from the SMC before making a new medicine routinely available.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative's report on the provision of a pilot televisiting service for psychiatric in-patients in Aberdeen who originate from remote areas and whether it will support expansion of the scheme.

Malcolm Chisholm: I welcome any initiative that improves services for patients. We have consistently emphasised the role that up-to-date technology and telemedicine techniques can play in securing improvements for patients in rural areas.

  The White Paper Our National Health made clear that NHS boards are responsible for planning to roll out good practice emerging from projects sponsored by the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative. I understand that all NHS board chief executives now have a copy of the project leader's report on the televisiting project based at the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen. It will be for individual boards to decide whether they wish to introduce similar arrangements in their own areas.

National Engineering Laboratory

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of when the last seismic and structural tests were carried out at the former National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a commercial matter for the previous occupier, TUV NEL, who vacated the building in December 2000. The information requested is not held centrally.

National Engineering Laboratory

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what options are available to it and industry for the testing of structures and machinery to meet current engineering standards and health and safety requirements.

Mr Jim Wallace: Building standards are contained in the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 as amended. The relevant standard is Technical Standard B2.2 which requires that the materials, fittings and components used in construction are suitably durable and fit for their intended purpose. For testing of structures, this means that the materials used normally require to be tested to relevant British or European Standards.

  The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 (as amended), lay down special conformity assessment procedures for listed types of machinery. These require suppliers to make use of the services of expert bodies approved for this purpose by the Secretary of State. A list of the UK's approved bodies for machinery can be found on the DTI website.

  Health and safety requirements are a reserved matter. A range of health and safety regulations contain requirements on the testing of machinery.

  Alternative structural testing facilities to that in the former National Engineering Laboratory are available elsewhere in the UK.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the NHS continuing care criteria introduced in 1996 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Mr Tom McCabe: The current guidance, Management Executive Letter (1996) 22, which was issued in March 1996, is currently under review. The revised guidance will clarify the existing guidance as necessary and incorporate any other revisions required.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHS continuing care criteria are standardised across Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: NHS bodies are expected to ensure that their policies, eligibility criteria and protocols for decisions on the provision of health services to meet continuing care health needs are consistent with Management Executive Letter (1996) 22.

Nurses

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to retain nurses in the NHS and how any retention policy is monitored.

Malcolm Chisholm: A range of recruitment and retention initiatives have been launched under the banner of Facing the Future  to support nurses and midwives across NHSScotland.

  To date, eight key-themes have been identified under which a number of initiatives at both local and national levels have been implemented. The key-themes are: careers, leadership, flexibility, education and training, working conditions and tools for the job, employment packages, research and evaluation, new roles.

  Action plans have been developed in all NHS board areas to take account of these themes. Progress on these action plans is monitored by the multi-agency Facing the Future Group, chaired by the Minister for Health and Community Care.

Nurses

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses and midwives have returned to the NHS since the introduction of the Return to Practice programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: Four hundred and eight people have returned to the NHS since the introduction of the Scottish Executive Health Department Return to Practice Programme in March 2002.

People with Dementia

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it is issuing regarding the prescription of risperidone and olanzapine to elderly people with dementia.

Mr Tom McCabe: On the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, guidance was issued on 9 March advising against the use of risperidone and olanzapine in elderly patients with dementia.

Rail Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8211 by Nicol Stephen on 3 June 2004, whether the franchise agreements can be viewed at Strategic Rail Authority offices in (a) Glasgow, (b) London or (c) both; why the agreements are not available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), and whether steps will be taken to ensure that current and future agreements are made available in SPICe.

Nicol Stephen: The current franchise agreement, with elements removed as set out in section 71(2) of the Railways Act 1993, can be viewed at the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) offices in either London or Glasgow on application to the SRA Secretariat.

  The SRA Secretariat may be contacted at the following address:

  Strategic Rail Authority

  55 Victoria Street

  London

  SW1H 0EU

  A copy of this document will also be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

  When the franchise agreement for the next franchise has been finalised and signed it will be placed on the SRA's public register as required by section 73 of the Railways Act 1993. A copy of it will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre at that time.

Royal Botanic Garden

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce a policy, financial and management review of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

Allan Wilson: The Executive is committed to ensuring that each public body is subject to a Policy, Financial and Management Review approximately every five years. A Review of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) will start in August 2004.

  The review will be conducted independently, in accordance with appropriate government guidance that applies to the public sector. It will consider the effectiveness and efficiency of the RBGE across the full range of its activities.

  Consultation with stakeholders will be an essential part of the review process.

Smoking

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage all sections of society to engage in its consultation on smoking in public places.

Mr Tom McCabe: Everything possible is being done to ensure a wide-spread response to the consultation. People can pick up copies of the consultation questionnaire, which take only a few minutes to complete, from doctor's surgeries, libraries, local authority premises and other public outlets, including pubs. A free-phone number to receive copies of the consultation response form is being widely publicised in the press.

  Similarly, people can make their views known on the internet. In addition, there are a number of regional seminars organised in conjunction with Scottish Civic Forum, and focus group work with targeted groups to allow people to air their views. Young Scot is also undertaking a number of activities to involve young people in the consultation.

Social Work

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any difficulties arise in recruitment or retention of social workers in particular areas due to the absence of a national pay scale for social workers; whether it has any plans to introduce such a pay scale, and, if not, what action will be taken to ensure that public funds are spent on enhancing services rather than recruiting social workers from one local authority to another.

Euan Robson: We are not aware of any evidence that suggests difficulties are arising because of the absence of a national pay scale. Where there are shortages, it is in areas where demand outstrips supply, but there are more social workers in Scotland now than ever before. Pay and terms and conditions of employment are matters for the local authorities, the representing trade unions and for COSLA to consider and the Executive has no plans to introduce national pay scales.

  With regard to enhancing services, most of our activities aimed at increasing the overall size of the labour pool, at training the workforce and at addressing recruitment and retention difficulties are clearly helping significantly. Our activities include the Care in Scotland Recruitment and Awareness Campaign, a Front Line Staff initiative, an extended fast-track scheme, which will add 450 people to the workforce, provision of £2 million to local authorities and voluntary organisations to help meet the costs of student practice placements, an incentive scheme to encourage newly-qualified graduates to fill jobs in qualifying posts in areas of significant shortage, a new Framework for Social Work Education including the introduction of a new four-year honours degree-level qualification, the establishment of the National Workforce Group which I chair, provision of an additional £9 million specific grant over three years for training, establishment of the Scottish Social Services Council and Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education, a Leadership Development Programme and a £3 million Voluntary Sector Development Fund to help meet training demands in that sector. Raising the quality and the quantity of staff and enhancing the support available to them will, in turn, enhance the services.

  To some extent, authorities are in competition for staff, and so will continue to recruit from each other, though our activities to grow the labour market are having an impact. In addition, officials at the Executive have been in discussion with COSLA with a view to discouraging the "golden hello" incentives that have recently been in evidence. Also the Executive will have a fundamental look at social work. We will report to the Parliament with details of this before the summer recess.

Student Finance

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are now any plans to increase the graduate endowment threshold repayment above the rate of inflation.

Mr Jim Wallace: There is no payment threshold for the graduate endowment.

  Liable graduates must pay the endowment on 1 April following graduation but may meet their liability by adding the amount to their student loan. There is a partnership agreement commitment to support a UK-wide increase to the repayment threshold for student loans.

Sustainable Development

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what was discussed at the last meeting of the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group and what will be on the agenda of its next meeting.

Peter Peacock: The group met on Tuesday 15 June and the main issues discussed were:

  Developing a workplan, including consideration of resources for taking forward planned action;

  A draft research study report which the group had commissioned on Sustainable Development Education in other parts of the UK;

  The recently published Scottish Biodiversity Strategy;

  The Council for Environmental Education's consultation on sustainable development for the environment departments in all four UK jurisdictionsm, and

  The proposed UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

  The next meeting of the group is on Tuesday 28 September. No agenda has yet been set.

Tourism

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting the Southern Upland Way as a tourist attraction.

Mr Frank McAveety: Walking is one of Scotland's most significant outdoor activities, and VisitScotland and the Area Tourist Boards work hard to encourage visitors to experience the varied walking terrain found across the country. This work includes publicising the network of footpaths in each area, including the Southern Upland Way, and the use of websites such as VisitScotland's "Walking Wild" website.

Tourism

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether rising fuel prices may impact adversely on the tourism industry and, if so, what measures it proposes in the tourism industry to address this issue.

Mr Frank McAveety: Fuel prices are one factor that people will take into account when deciding where to go on holiday. VisitScotland and the Area Tourist Boards continue to successfully promote all parts of Scotland within our important UK and near European markets, with all areas reporting a very good start to the current year.

Transport

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin work on its next 10-year transport plan.

Nicol Stephen: A strategic transport projects review covering all transport modes, is referred to in Scotland's Transport Future, the transport white paper published on 16 June. The review will begin before 2007.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Inquiry

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Presiding Officer has received any communication from Lord Fraser of Carmyllie regarding the publication of the report of the Holyrood Inquiry and whether that communication will be made available in SPICe.

George Reid: Lord Fraser has written to me to request that his report be published under the authority of the Parliament (as was the case with the reports by Sir Anthony Campbell and Dr Raj Jandoo into the Chhokar case). One consequence of publication under the authority of the Parliament would be that any statements made in the report would attract absolute privilege.

  I have therefore considered the request very carefully, and have discussed it with the First Minister as joint sponsor of the Inquiry.

  We have been assured by Lord Fraser that the whole of his report will be evidence-based and that any individual who might be subject to criticism in the report will be treated fairly and will have an opportunity to respond to any critical comment before the report is finalised. Copies of Lord Fraser's letter dated 24 June are available in SPICe.

  On that basis, I have been prepared for a motion to be put before the Parliament authorising Lord Fraser's report to be laid and instructing the Clerk to publish it.